A Tragic Trick of the Mind
by dragonrider1234
Summary: In the midst of the raging Infinity War, Wanda has a chance to finally end it all and defeat Thanos. But what if the Mad Titan is too powerful for her? Will she be able to save everyone and end the bloodshed, or will she fall for Thanos's mind tricks, destroy the one that cares for her the most, and give Thanos the final thing he needs? More info inside.


**AN: Hello readers and Happy New Year! I'm back with another oneshot! A gift for all of my readers/followers. With the holiday seasons rolling in, and people just uploading their work(s) before the year ends, it kinda pushed me to get this piece done for all of you. It's not early, but I think that it is a good way to start 2017.**

 **Now, I know that many of you are expecting an update for some of my other stories, and I** ** _promise_** **I'll get to them eventually.**

 **That aside, this story is inspired by an idea of a very talented author named imagineer801 (thank-you so much for letting me use it!).**

 **Overall premise: the story is set during the Infinity War and is** ** _all_** **fan speculation. Nothing is for certain, and it is not based off any set photos, leaks, or anything like that from the new movies coming out in 2018. Though you can say that it is based on a scene from** ** _Age of Ultron_** **, but that's up to your perspective.**

 **So without further delay…enjoy the story.**

* * *

 **A Tragic Trick of the Mind**

Darkness … an infinite void of nothingness, where light cannot shine and warmth cannot be found. It is empty, lonely, still, and quiet. There is just _nothing_.

The darkness use to frighten her, but she had many rays of light that were powerful enough to light-up her world and keep the void at bay: her mother and father, and especially her brother. Her _twin_ brother. He was her ray of joy, tranquility, and happiness in a world of the corrupt and evil. His laugh brought her joy, his hugs brought her serenity, and his presence brought her warmth. His corny jokes use to exasperate her, yet they made her laugh, and he always had something to say to make her feel as if she wasn't alone. He was her final thread to sanity when the missile was in front of their face and when they found out that they were the only ones that survived. He comforted her through the pains of the experiments by HYDRA and reassured her when they encountered Ultron and the Avengers.

But then he was taken from her, and her light was gone. Extinguished too soon before his time, his spirit now lies in the rubble of what was once a thriving city. Oh how she misses him and would want nothing more than to hold him and tell him she loved him one more time.

 _'Pietro…I…'_

Her thoughts were cut short at the sound of an explosion very close to where she lies. Her mocha brown eyes shoot open, and Wanda Maximoff sits-up straight against her aching body's protest to a horrifying sight. Against the magnificent, inky backdrop of space with billions upon billions of stars, a war is waging between the Chitauri army and the Avengers once again. The Hulk's roar echoes across the land, coupled with the battle cries of the Asgardians and many others. Up above, beams and missiles are being fired back and forth, with Iron Man rocketing through the air in hopes of getting away from five Chitauri warriors chasing him. The sight is something to behold.

As another laser hits the ground close to her, it prompts Wanda to snap out of her daydreams, get-up and run for the nearest strange rock formation that provided a decent amount of cover. Panting to regain her breath, Wanda glances back and sees that no one is paying her any mind, which allows her to release a sigh in relief.

Right. They, Earth's Mightiest Heroes, are fighting Thanos, the Mad Titan, and his army. The past few weeks have been hell for the Avengers as they try to rally their forces with new and old teammates, even meeting up with some very unique heroes from space. They managed to find Thanos's base among the stars in an asteroid belt with the help of the Guardians, and, miraculously, most of these asteroids have breathable atmospheres. So here they are now, and they have to defend Earth …no … they have to defend the entire universe.

Another blast lands right next to her, sending dust and rocks flying in every direction. Wanda shields herself with her force field; she knows that she has to rejoin the fight. Lowering her arms, Wanda takes a good, long look around her and sees nothing but rocks. The air is eerily silent as the noise of the battle becomes more distant. _'The battle must have moved somewhere else,'_ Wanda thought quickly in her head. Wanting to find her team, Wanda shuts her eyes and concentrates, spreading her senses across the asteroid in hopes of finding where they are. She curses as she remembers how the first blasts of the battle made her lose her comm piece, and now she couldn't contact anyone. As her senses roam the planes of the massive space rock, it catches something that shocks her out of her trance. A powerful entity is near, and she could feel its strong psyche thrumming from her brain all the way to her bones.

 _Thanos._

Without another thought, Wanda sprints as fast she could towards where she believes the Mad Titan is. This is her chance to end things now and to finally be useful to her teammates. Jumping over large rubble and loose stones, Wanda makes her way in good time when suddenly, she trips over something and falls flat on her face. Groaning in pain and frustration, she lifts her heads and spits out some dust, only to gaze into the unseeing eyes of Hawkeye.

"Clint!" Wanda exclaims as she gets to her knees and examines the fallen hero, shaking his non-responsive body gently, only to cover her mouth to stifle her cry. The man that helped her, supported her like a second father, and comforted her in her darkest days, is gone. Clint was the first Avenger to approach her like a normal human being and treat her like one. He protected her from the scrutinizing glares and the hateful world. Clint became her new ray of light when Pietro died, along with all the other Avengers and _him._ And now Clint is also dead. "No, Clint… _please_ …" Wanda begs through her sobs as she places one hand on his still, cold body, quietly weeping over him.

Clint was just supposed to go on recon. Being one of the stealthiest Avengers, he is the perfect one to go in and scope out the enemy territory and find all their positions; however, a battle broke-out before they could make contact with the archer. He wasn't supposed to engage. He wasn't supposed to get caught. It isn't fair. Now he is … dead, and she could feel the darkness draw nearer as another one of her rays of lights extinguishes.

Lifting herself slowly, Wanda allows a few more tears to fall onto the dusty ground. With shaking hands, she closes his eyes. Wanda then shifts the man's body gently and slowly with her powers so that he is lying on his back and pressed against an outcrop, placed just between a wall and a large boulder. No matter what, she has to make sure that the body is safe. It's the least she could do for him and his family … if she makes it through the war.

With a final, solemn prayer to the stars as well as imprinting the location into her mind, Wanda shakily steps away from Clint and goes back to running towards Thanos, who still hasn't moved in all that time, with new determination.

Wanda is furious, but in no way is she stupid. It's obviously a trap, and one that she is not going to fall for. Once she could sense that Thanos is near, she skids to a stop and hides behind a large boulder, just off to the side of him. Slowing her heart rate and using her powers to keep track of the titan's movements, Wanda creeps around slowly, using the boulders and rock formations to hide her lithe form. Quickly, she peeks around the boulder and sees that Thanos is facing away from her. Whirling back, she readies a ball of pure energy. She concentrates her powers and scans for a weak spot on the titan's armor…

"Don't bother little witch…" Thanos's deep, booming voice shakes Wanda's body, and she nearly drops her attack. She stills her breath and hopes with all her will that he was just bluffing; however, "I know you are right behind me, so you might as well come out."

Wanda says nothing and doesn't make a sound. There's no way out. With no comm to call for backup and Thanos already knowing she's here, there's nothing else she can do. So she takes a deep breath, steels her nerves, and steps out of the shadows, her hands raised and ready to attack, "If you think you can stop me from blasting you to millions of…" Thanos just chuckles as he turns to face her, which stops her in her tracks. She has never actually seen Thanos up-close before, or at least close enough to touch, and his stature is certainly frightening. He is humongous, a definite titan. His hideous, purple face rests atop broad shoulders, and his eyes are as cold as the space they are in. He's covered in golden armor that just seem impenetrable, and on one of his massive hands is the dreaded Infinity Gauntlet, its golden metal glistens with starlight and the lights from the five all-powerful Infinity Stones on it. Wanda shakes her head and gathers her strength to look up and glare at the titan.

"You certainly have spirit," Thanos chuckles deeply, his fist clenches and the stones glow ever more in the darkness, "Did you like the little gift I left for you on the way here? It was quite…easy to acquire."

"You MONSTER!" Wanda roars with rage and sends a wave of energy at the titan, only for him to wave it away as if it were nothing. Unfazed, Wanda launches up into the air, high enough to look down at a smirking Thanos. "You will pay for attacking Earth!" She fires another shot, and it is once again negated by the powerful gauntlet. Flying around the massive titan, Wanda fires her attacks continuously at any angle she could, trying to aim for the holes and openings in the armor. Each time she fires an attack, her anger grows and her powers ignite, making each attack more powerful and swifter than the last. However, Thanos barely seems to struggle as he uses his strong broad arms to deflect the attacks as they come, constantly keeping an eye on her and easily matching her quick movements. One of her attacks managed to land right on his face, to which he grunted with annoyance as the blast blinded him.

Wanda slows down to a hover and takes her chance. She lifts up her hands, summons all her power, concentrates them onto her open palms and unleashes a powerful, red beam right at Thanos's chest, causing him to grunt at the impact and kneel to stabilize himself. Screaming in both anger and exertion, she watches as Thanos struggles to lift his arms to shield his face from the intense rays. But Wanda doesn't stop; instead, she powers up the attack evermore, channeling her energy deep inside her, and fueled by her anger and resentment for this creature and for all that he has done…

…her home…

…her world…

...the galaxy…

…her friends…

…Hawkeye…

They all suffered because of him. So many brave people and aliens have _died_ because of him.

Eyes blazing red with her powers, she draws-in a titanic-sized asteroid floating by with all her might and, without a second thought, she smashes it down onto Thanos, a move that even the Incredible Hulk would be proud of. The impact sends a giant plume of smoke shooting into the air, obscuring her view of her hated foe.

Panting heavily in pure exhaustion, she takes in a deep, cooling breath. Had she done it…is it all finally over? Waving her hand to clear the dust cloud, she is met with an unbelievable site: Thanos is kneeling on one knee, his head bent downward, and the gauntlet raised, its residual surges of power just dissipated in his palm. Wanda could only let out a gasp.

A low, dark chuckle emanates from the kneeling titan, and it grows into an all-out bellow of sadistic laughter. To Wanda's utter horror, Thanos gets-up effortlessly and wipes away some of the meteor dusts and rocks from his shoulder plates as if they were a mild annoyance. With a dark smirk, Thanos looks-up at Wanda, "Heh, is that all?" Wanda growls and calls forth her powers again, only to realize that she is drained from her last attack, so the blast that came was easily swatted away. Thanos smirks and takes one step forward, raising his gauntlet into the air and firing his own attack.

The attack is quick, yet deadly precise and powerful. Wanda had only moments to dodge the attack after processing that it is coming at her. Using whatever's left of her energy, she shoots up a little higher, just barely dodging the lightening attack; it was so close, she could just feel the heat radiating from it. Gasping with the sudden shot of adrenaline, Wanda looks down again, only to see Thanos charging up a ball of energy. The blasts come in quick procession, one after another, and Wanda had to move quickly to dodge them. They came so fast, she could not even counter them. As Thanos launches another mighty attack, Wanda charges at it, surprising even the titan. But before she is hit, she changes her angle so that she zooms-up, somersaults over the ball of energy, builds up another ball of energy in her hands and throws it as she rights herself up. The attack, though, is immediately caught by Thanos in the palm of the gauntlet.

Thanos gave no warning this time. With unmatchable speed, he throws the attack right back at Wanda. Exhausted from the previous attacks, she could only move an inch before the blast explodes right next to her, and its shockwave throws her off. With another explosion to her other side, she is sent careening down to the ground.

Wanda lets out a gasp and a groan. Even though the fall wasn't that big, it still knocked the wind out of her, and she could feel a few bruised and possible cracked bones. As she slowly pushes herself up, vibrations can be felt from the ground as Thanos nears the fallen Avenger. "You were a fool to challenge me," Thanos's voice rumbles through the still and eerily silent air, "I will admit, I thought that you would be one of the more difficult ones to deal with…I guess I was wrong. You were certainly more difficult than your spy, but hardly a challenge." Wanda has just managed to regain her breath and is now looking up at the imposing figure of Thanos before her, "It was so easy to get you to come to me, and now you're all alone…" Wanda looks around and sees how empty the skies are, "you have no allies here…" she remembers Tony flying away from the Chitauri, towards another meteor far way, "you have no friends…" Steve was leading another charge with Natasha, T'Challa, Sam, and Bucky, and now she has no idea where they are, "but you can still have your brother…"

Wanda's head whips over to face the titan as he goes down to one knee and bends forward to her level, covertly taking an object out of his pocket. Anger immediately surges through her and her fingers light up with her powers, "Don't you dare speak about my brother!" She tries to fire the attack, but it is again waved away.

"Oh…I just thought that you might want to see him again."

"He is dead."

"No, he isn't. See for yourself," With a gesture of his gauntlet, an eerie red glow begins to encompass it, drawing Wanda's eyes to where Thanos is gesturing against her better judgment. Her eyes then widen with shock. Out of the shadows of the rock formations, in his tight blue long-sleeved shirt, dark jeans, and silver running shoes, and perfectly unharmed is none other than Pietro Maximoff, her brother.

"P…p…Pietro?" Wanda reels back in shock as her supposedly dead brother strolls over to where she is. She then shakes her head and looks away, "No, no, no, no, no, no, no! You're dead. This is all a lie! I sensed it, I _felt_ it! No…" Her mutterings fade as she felt his familiar, callous hands caress her cheeks, urging her to look into his blue eyes. The same eyes that comforted her underneath the rubble of their home, the same eyes that calmed her as her powers lose control, the same eyes that she saw in her mind close for the last time. No, she knows that it's not real. It's a trick, a sick joke. He shouldn't even be here. It's…

"Wanda…" Pietro whispers quietly…lovingly, "I missed you so much сестра [sister]." ( **AN: thank-you Google translate** ).

Wanda could not stop herself, "I missed you too брат [brother]. I missed you so much, but you're not real…you're dead…you're…"

"Here," he finishes, placing his other hand on her cheek. Wanda's eyes widen even more once she looks-up and looks at her twin's face. He looks exactly the same as when she last saw him, which felt like eons ago. She sits there stock still, refusing to let her eyes wander and the rest of the universe disappears, until there is only the two of them left. There was no war, no Infinity Gauntlet, no Thanos, no Lady Death, and no Avengers. It is just them in silence.

"How…how are you here? You…Clint…he…" Wanda asks, suspicion rising in her mind. But she makes no move to get away; instead, out of pure instinct, she reaches out with her mind to find Pietro, and ... he's there. It's just how she remembers it. She immediately tries to enter his mind, and he lets her in. He lets her merge their minds and form their connection like so many times before.

Pietro then strokes her cheek with the pad of his thumb, "Shhhh… it's alright, I'm here. I'm okay… It wasn't me…"

His words are so soft and soothing and his mind is so comforting. It's as if he was singing her a lullaby again, just like he did whenever her nightmares were too much and the darkness came too close. He kept whispering them, the words she had yearned to hear for so long that she felt as if her heart was going to burst. Pietro continues to whisper the words until they become the lyrics to his lullaby, and that is when her tears fell. Using the pads of his thumbs, he wipes away her tears and pulls her into a strong embrace. Wanda could not hold back, and she buries her face in his chest, breathing in his sweet, familiar scent as she sobs quietly. "Oh…Pietro…" her voice cracks as she mutters it into his chest. He is really here...he is really alive.

After a few moments, Pietro pulls away and grips Wanda's face gently so that he can look into her eyes, "But I need your help." And with that, he pulls her closer and softly kisses her on her forehead, just as he had done so many times in the past.

But as his soft lips lightly touches on Wanda's cool skin, a ripple of blue energy courses through her from that spot and pools into her tearful eyes, turning them bright blue as she nods in understanding and acceptance. All the while, Thanos smirks.

* * *

Having just escaped from a unit of Chitauri soldiers, Vision goes back to his original mission: finding Wanda. He knows that he shouldn't be doing this. He is defying Steve's orders by even stepping out of the ship, but he has to find Wanda, he knows that she is in grave danger. Using his powers, Vision scours the landscape of every asteroid in the vicinity, hoping to sense the familiar, strong, comforting mind of Wanda.

As he sweeps the areas, worry begins to plague his mind. Worry for his family and his friends. They mean everything to him, and it pains him greatly that they're suffering and fighting to defend the universe…and him. In the years he has spent with the Avengers, he has grown fond of their company and accepted them as his family. He accepted their gifts and their faults, and even when they split, he still held onto the hope that they will be together again. He just hadn't imagined that it would be under these circumstances. They were always there, and he had never felt alone.

However, there is one person that stood out, and that was Wanda. Even when he first stepped out of the Cradle, he knew that he could trust her, even allowing her to prod his mind as she wishes. Since the beginning, he felt a connection to her that is different to anyone else, and it often made him seek out her company over anyone else. He eventually learned about her past and about her brother, Pietro, and it saddens him to think of Wanda living in misery. So he made it his goal to reassure her and be there for her. He helped her control her gift, trained with her to make her stronger, and taught her new tricks and skills he believed would help her. In return, she became his closest friend, made him laugh, and taught him about human culture and proper social behavior. But most of all, she taught him how to feel. Whether she meant to or not, she taught him so much about emotions and feelings. She taught and showed him friendship, anger, sadness, joy, and so much more. She brightened his monotonous life, and he owes her so much for just making him more human. He would do anything for her, and his times with Wanda are times that he promised to never forget and to cherish for all eternity.

Snapping out of his thoughts, he refocuses on finding Wanda. As he flies over to another asteroid, he senses something familiar: Wanda. Wasting no time, he speeds over to her location, and fear grips his mind at the sight of the dust still floating in the air. As he draws closer, a silhouette of a woman can be seen in the cloud of dust, just standing there in the middle of the vast empty area. Vision lightly lands just feet away from this figure and slowly walks towards her. "Wanda?" he whispers breathlessly.

The dust clears away with a gust of wind that seemed to have come from nowhere, revealing Wanda as she stood with her back to him. "Vision," she says back monotonously, "I was waiting for you."

"I apologize, I could not come sooner," Vision replies, relieved that she seems alright, "But I'm here to bring you back. Please come with…"

"I'm not going anywhere," she stops him coldly. She then slowly turns around to face him, "and neither are you." Vision steps back in shock at the sight of her cold blue eyes.

"Surprised to see her?" the deep, rumbling voice sends Vision whirling around and looking at the Mad Titan himself, as he too appears out of the dust and shadows.

Vision grits his teeth, internally scolding himself for letting his guard down and not sensing Thanos nearby, "What have you done to her?"

"Done to her? Why, I didn't do anything to her. But _you_ certainly did. Isn't that right Wanda?"

"Vision, you will pay for what you did to Pietro!" Wanda scowls as she lifts herself into the air.

"But I didn't do anything. Wanda, you must listen to me. Thanos has warped your mind. You must fight it!" Vision pleas to her, but she just dismisses his words.

"Enough! I am tired of hearing your lies! You have been the one who drove Pietro away, hunting him like an animal. _YOU_ drove my family apart!"

"Thanos! Release your hold on Wanda now!" Vision demands, only to be met with a chuckle from the titan. Then something occurred to him, "How are you doing this?! You do not have the Mind Stone!"

"Oh, but I did," Thanos then reveals in his hand a small, glowing capsule with an eerie yellow light, "Did you really think that I would give that fool, Loki, the powerful Infinity Stone without storing away some of its power. I knew that it would be a matter of time before the he loses the Stone, so I had a … temporary back-up made," he throws the capsule up in the air and catches it with his fingers, "it's not perfect, but it gets the job done. However, I still require your Stone…"

Vision has heard enough. Launching into the sky, he unleashes a powerful beam of energy right at Thanos; however, Wanda jumps right in front of the blast and deflects it. The resulting collision causes some smoke to appear, obscuring Wanda from Vision's view, and he worries whether he has hit her or not. The silence is only broken by Thanos's dark laugh, and right out of the smoke, Wanda flies right at Vision and fires an energy blast that sends him right to the ground.

Vision quickly gets up and shakes his head. With quick reflexes, he jumps to the side to dodge another blast fired by Wanda. "Stop Wanda!"

"Never! I will not let you get my brother!" Wanda screeches, throwing another energy ball at him, which he just dodges again. Quickly, Vision shoots-up into the air and tries to fly closer to Wanda, whose eyes are still blue yet mixed with red from her power.

Vision does not want to fight Wanda. He knows who the real threat is and tries to go after Thanos, who has just been standing there and smirking at his handy-work. However, he could not get near the titan as Wanda kept firing her attacks at him relentlessly. "Wanda, please! I didn't hurt your brother! It was Ultron!" he tries to reason with the angry female Avenger.

"Excuses! You're nothing but a cold, heartless robot! You drove away the only family I had, and I won't let you do it again!" Her words stung Vision deeply, and in his hesitance, Wanda manages to somehow get in range, grabs him with her telekinesis, and throws him back. But before he crashes into the ground, he catches himself, and flies back into the air. It seems that no matter what, Wanda is going to stop him from getting to Thanos. So with all his willpower, he turns away from the titan and faces Wanda.

"Wanda! It pains me deeply to say this, but Pietro has passed away…"

"Liar!" Wanda screeches, using her powers to push Vision straight down to the ground, creating a crater where he landed. She then lands forcefully on top of him, digging her heels into his abdomen before straddling him and aiming another blast at his head, "I know that he is alive! You can't lie to me anymore!"

Her forceful impact thoroughly knocked the wind out of Vision and stunned him. Once he regained his bearings, he doesn't try to fight her; instead, he looks up at her rage-filled, yet beautiful face, "Look again, into my mind. I trust you Wanda, as I've always did and always will. Look into my memories from the very beginning and see the truth…"

Wanda's stance falters as she gazes down at Vision and her attack dissipates in her hands, "Vizh…?" He perks up with hope as Wanda hesitantly brings her hand up to his forehead, where the Mind Stone has resided for the last 3 years. Her fingers light up as she touches the stone, as it too lights up faintly. Then, visions and scenes of the past fill her mind, nearly overwhelming her.

 _Sokovia…her home…_

Thanos sees what is going on and grits his teeth.

 _Pietro and her running through the flying city, saving people…he ran to push Clint and a little boy out of the way, getting shot in the progress by Ultron…and dying…_

Tears slip down her cheek and her breathing quickens.

 _She screamed to the heavens…she ripped the heart out of one of Ultron's body…the pain…_

Vision lifts one of his hands up and wipes her tears away, ignoring the thumps of the ground as Thanos nears.

 _She was numb and cold, but something warm enveloped her and carried her away from the rubble and death…she wanted it so badly, but he kept it from her reach…all she could see was the sky as she was lifted into the air before nothing…_

"Wanda…" Vision whispers gently.

 _Clint was hugging her, he felt guilty, yet she didn't blame him or the others…_

Thanos is truly pissed-off now. He knows that Wanda is his key to taking the Mind Stone. He cannot, he _will not,_ lose her.

 _She was welcomed at the new Avenger's compound…they respected her and gave her space when she needed it…they gave her a home and food to eat…anything she could ever need…including a friend…_

The titan raises his gauntlet. The Reality Stone glows brighter, and in his other hand, the glowing capsule shines brighter too, but not as brightly as the actual stone.

 _They wanted the best for her…Natasha, Steve, Sam, Rhodey, Clint, even Tony…and_ Vision _…they all trained her, talked to her, comforted her, and made her laugh…_

"Wanda…" she hears her brother's voice, making her look to her right. Pietro is standing there…yet why are these memories saying he is dead, "…don't listen to him…I'm right here…please help me сестра [sister]…"

 _Vision had always been there…he helped her control her powers…they laughed and watched out for each other…she betrayed him, yet he still came to see her and brought her warmth and love in her time on the Raft..._

Wanda suddenly whirls back and faces Vision with fury and hatred so intense, Vision nearly recoils, "I will never let you take Pietro, your lies mean nothing to me! You mean nothing to me!" Using her powers, Wanda takes control over the Mind Stone, its once soft, yellow glow now blood red. It's just as she had done at the compound all those years ago, except now her hold is harsher and it makes him gasp at the force. Yet, against all his instincts to protect the Mind Stone, the very thing that brought him to life, he doesn't fight her; instead, he just keeps sending her his…their memories together through the stone.

 _The times they laughed over his naivety…_

 _The times they hung out together watching a movie, talking, training, or gazing at the stars…_

"I hate you!" Wanda screams, strengthening her hold on the Mind Stone, further immobilizing Vision. Above her, 'Pietro' places one hand on her shoulder, smirking satisfyingly down at the defeated android. But Vision's face remains the same. His eyes remain loving and he still retains a calm smile.

 _The times she helped him understand basic human behaviors…_

 _The times he taught her how to fly…_

 _The time he made her feel better when she was sick…_

 _The times he held her as she cried for her brother…_

"Oh Wanda…I will never forget you..." Vision mutters softly. Much to his own surprise, a glowing, light teardrop falls from his teal eyes as he closes them. Finally, with all her might, Wanda intensifies her telekinetic hold on the Stone and rips it out.

It is done.

Panting with exhaustion, Wanda makes a grab for the floating stone encased in red energy, but before her hands could touch the yellow Mind Stone, it shoots out of her reach and into Thanos's grasp.

"At last!" Thanos bellows proudly and laughs maniacally. The Mind Stone implants itself onto its place on the gauntlet, and the all-powerful weapon lights up as bright as the sun, "The stones are all mine!" At that moment, her brother turns to dust and is blown away right before Wanda's eyes and they lost their blue color. Snapping out of her daze, she looks in shock at the titan towering over her, sneering at her disdainfully, "I have to thank-you Wanda. Without your help, I would never have gotten the Mind Stone so easily…but now it is back where it belongs and the universe is _mine_. And it's all thanks to _you_ …"

"No…no," Wanda tries to deny it, but then looks down at the figure beneath her, making her gasp in shock, "Vision!"

"Yes…," without a final look at the broken woman, Thanos turns and heads off to face the coming forces. The Infinity Gauntlet in his hand is ready and shining with six bright Infinity Stones. The real war starts _now_.

But for Wanda, the war had just ended for her. Not paying any heed to the Mad Titan, she quickly climbs off of Vision's prone body, and her hands hover over it, not being able to touch him and not knowing what to do. Tears pour out of her eyes as the realization and the cold, harsh truth washes over her. "Vision…I…I'm…I'm so sorry." Gently cupping his face, she turns his head ever so slightly so that she could see his face. His eyes are closed and he looks so peaceful. She almost thought that he was sleeping, or as he puts it, "resting and recharging". A small, weak smile appears on her face at the thought, but then her eyes fall on the hole in his head, and one of her hand flies to her mouth. She did that. She killed her best friend. She felt sick looking at the gaping hole, and a whimper escapes her lips as she caresses his cold cheeks.

"Vizh…" Wanda utters weakly through her clogged throat before throwing herself over him, burying her face into his still chest, "Vision!" She lets all her tears fall right there, her sobs wracking her body violently, but she doesn't care. The world around her became distant once again. The battle waging around her become a distant nightmare, and she ignores the blasts coming her way. They don't matter to her. Nothing mattered. All she could feel is the cold darkness surrounding her once again.

Sitting up slowly, Wanda shakily crawls towards Vision's head and rests it on her lap. She bends over and lets her long hair curtain around them, and her tears begin to rain down on Vision's still, lifeless face. He is just so cold now, no longer generating his comforting body heat that often lulls her to sleep. His eyes are now closed forever, no longer able to calm her and promise her that everything is alright…that _he_ was alright.

She refuses to look at the hole that marred his lovely, calm face; instead, she focuses on his face when he was still alive, smiling at her and looking at her so adoringly. Without a thought, Wanda lowers her head just a bit, and plants a soft kiss on his forehead. This only serves to make her sob even more, and she moved to rest her forehead against his, feeling the marred, broken metal around where the Mind Stone once was…the stone that though gave him life, he knew nothing about…the stone that she ripped right out of his head.

She did not deserve to kiss Vision, but she could not help but feel selfish, and that tore her apart. Vision is everything pure and good, while she destroys anything she touches. Even when it mattered most, she still failed. She was weak…she let everyone down…she betrayed her friends…she let Thanos control her and play her like a puppet…she gave him the Mind Stone…she killed Vision…the one who cared for her the most…

"I'm so…sorry," Wanda whispers breathlessly through her sobs, "I was weak…I let him fool me…" Clenching her eyes tightly shut, she tries to block the screams and the fighting happening around her. She tries to ignore the cold, empty loneliness of the void as it surrounds and overtakes her with despair, "I failed everyone…I failed _you."_

* * *

 **AN: Well…that happened. Not a very Disney ending, but a slightly cliché one for sure…sorry if that was disappointing. But, it's done, and extremely late at that. I'm so sorry for this massive delay. I originally planned for this to come out around Thanksgiving, but then school distracted me along with general laziness and it has just been a massive headache. Then I planned for it to come out for Christmas, but even** ** _that_** **didn't happen. So I hope that you all can forgive me for my laziness, and that this oneshot is worth the wait.**

 **So a couple of things about this piece: it was, indeed, inspired by an idea from the talented imagineer801, who I want to thank so much for letting me use it. I also want to point out that if the characters seem a bit OOC, I just want to apologize for that. It has been awhile since I have watched the MCU movies.**

 **Another thing I want to point out (and it might be a glaring issue) is the Infinity Gauntlet, Infinity Stones, and Thanos. I have not read the comics** ** _at all_** **(I know, booooooo! *Throws a tomato at myself*). It was just something I never got into, so most of my information came from wiki pages, one or two scenes from the comics, fanfics, and the movies/cartoons (I know, not the best sources for info). So I guess what I'm trying to say is that I apologize if I got Thanos wrong (I tried to keep the focus off the titan and keep his character vague because of this) and if I really messed up on the Infinity Stones/Gauntlet (many of their abilities and powers are from either the cartoons (Avengers Assemble) or from my own inferences). So I know I messed up somewhere along the line, and this is me acknowledging it. So please don't flame me for this or even for my ship.**

 **I also want to make it clear that this is one of my first attempts at writing legitimate fighting/action scenes, and even though they're not the best, I still want to hear what you guys think.**

 **Whew, with that said, I also want to make another announcement! I know that in my previous updates, I mentioned that I would be working on a sequel to one of my popular fanfics. Well, it really saddens me to say that that is being scrapped due to lack of ideas and writer's block, and the story just isn't worth it anymore. Instead, I might do another oneshot based on high school football. That's right, Marvel High is back and in the championships, but against who? So either in your reviews or PMs to me, select from the following list who you guys want to see the Marvel Avengers go up against. This will be my first time writing a full-length sports themed fanfic, and I am super excited for the challenge.**

 **Pick your team:**

\- **Disney Knights**

\- **DC Heroes**

\- **Dreamworks Dreamers**

\- **Hasbro Toymakers**

 **I think this is a good place to end things. So please comment/favorite/follow and I will see y'all next time.**

 **Peace!**

 **~FD**


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